Lunch plays an important role in supporting energy levels through the second half of the school day and is especially important for students involved in after school activities. Below are some tips to eat healthier throughout the day.
If you pack lunch for your child:
Packing a lunch can be a good opportunity to include some favorite foods, particularly if you have a fussy or picky eater. Make sure to get a container that suits your child’s needs. An insulated lunchbox with an ice pack will be great for cold items, while a thermos may be more beneficial for those who prefer a warm lunch. Now, let’s build a healthy, balanced meal! Let’s first visit My Plate:
- Start with whole grains: whole wheat bread or whole wheat wraps (look for items with 3g fiber or more) are easy options
- Add protein: beans, peanut butter, low sodium deli meats such as turkey, ham and chicken or chicken/tuna salad
- Pack easy to eat vegetables: carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, broccoli and cucumber slices are quick options that require little preparation. Add a small portion of your child’s favorite dip to make them tastier and to make sure they eat them.
- Think fruit for dessert: apple slices, grapes, mandarin oranges are quick and easy
- Dairy: pair the meal with a small container of 1% milk as the beverage, pack a small yogurt to pair with their fruit or consider a low-fat cheese stick
Meal ideas:
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread, carrot sticks with 1-2 tablespoon ranch dressing, apple slices with ½ tablespoon honey, 1% milk
- Chicken salad wrap: whole wheat wrap, Mexican chicken salad made with carrots, potatoes, green peas, corn and mayonnaise, low fat vanilla yogurt with grapes
- Pizza wrap: whole wheat wrap, tomato sauce, low fat mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, pineapple chunks
- Bean and cheese taco on a corn tortilla, cherry tomatoes with 1-2 tablespoon guacamole, mandarin orange
If your child eats lunch at school:
Many children and families benefit from school nutrition programs. It is important to offer dietary guidance to your child to ensure they are making good decisions during lunchtime.
- Guide them to pick fruits and vegetables as side items. Most school nutrition programs will have these options available, but the decision to choose them and eat them is up to the child. Encourage them to eat healthy produce by regularly including them in meals at home. Limit juice at home and offer whole fruits instead. This will encourage your child to select these options most often at school.
- Encourage them to drink milk or water at school. Again, reinforce eating whole fruits vs. drinking fruit juice.
Planning ahead can make starting off the school year a little less stressful. Make time to build a weekly menu and use this to get a grocery list together. This will take the mental load of decision making from you during the week and will help you create healthier meals for the entire family. Remember, creating healthy eating habits takes time, so practice having plenty of patience! Reinforcing these principles daily will establish good eating habits for life!
If you need tips on building a healthy breakfast, check out this blog post.
Our dietitian can help you build an A+ healthy meal plan for your family. Please schedule an appointment at 877-800-5722.
Blog post written by Karissa Lucio RD, LD, CDCES, Lone Star Circle of Care Registered Dietitian.
